A farewell message to the seniors

Congratulations, seniors! Congratulations to you and your proud parents and family on this day - your high school graduation!

The last time I was able to talk to you as a group . . .  you were 6th graders . . . and you thought this day would NEVER get here, didn’t you?

This is a milestone event. Really. It is.  At Ogden Community Schools and in our community, we tend to expect to see you here at this milestone. It is a given. But, there are many students who don’t make it this far. So I encourage you to be proud of your accomplishment.  

Again, congratulations to you, graduates, on this life milestone.

Maybe this is a life milestone for me, too. When a person is asked to speak at a graduation ceremony, it must mean one of two things . . .  or both . . . you are either old, or you have been around for a long time! 

Just the other day one of my 6th grade boys told me he had found a yearbook from when his mom was in middle school, and Mr. Smith’s and my pictures were in it. A lot of times when conversations like this occur, I’m not quite sure how to respond.  So I decided to joke with him, and I asked him if I looked as good then as I do now. He paused, looked at me thoughtfully, and replied, “Well,  . . . that depends on how you look at it.” We have smart kids in Ogden!

When Elizabeth asked me if I would speak at your graduation ceremony, my first response was, “Heavens, NO! I couldn’t do anything like that!” . . . and then I immediately felt guilty. And you know, Liz just stood there with that quiet patience of hers, and waited for me to change my mind.  Then I remembered all the times I encouraged . . . pressured . . . you and other students to take a risk . . . to not be afraid to try new things . . . so I told her I would think about it. My stomach was already in knots. And my thoughts,  “I can’t do this . . . I always cry at graduations.” 

For the complete speech, see this week's issue of The Ogden Reporter.